This project aims to contribute to SDGs 13 (climate action) and 15 (life on land). In Ituri Province, women play a crucial role in managing drought-prone lands. They are often the first to experience the impacts of drought and have developed unique knowledge and practices to cope. In the agri-cultural sector, women represent most of the workforce and play an essential role in the family economy and the country. Women collect and transport water for domestic consumption, garden irrigation, and livestock farming. They manage water resources sustainably and equitably, and are adopting water conservation techniques, like rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation.
As women are responsible for agriculture and food processing in the home, they are responsible for changes, such as cultivating drought-resistant crop varieties using sustainable techniques. They diversify food sources to guarantee family food security, plant legumes to fertilise the soil, trees, and shrubs to combat erosion and desertification, use improved stoves to reduce excessive firewood consumption, and apply soil conservation techniques, such as mulching and crop rotation, to protect biodiversity and natural resources.
In household waste management, biodegradable waste is preserved and used to fertilise fields, and nondegradable substances are disposed of sustainably. Waste is recycled and transformed. Women also plant fruit trees and lawns to combat erosion and maintain the soil.
Women raise awareness in communities about the dangers of drought and provide information and education on SLM practices. They educate children on the importance of environmental protection, reforestation, and agroforestry to improve fertility and diversify food sources. Further, they take on leadership roles in local organisations and development initiatives, contribute to the research and development of sustainable solutions to drought, and mobilise funds to organise meetings and community awareness on women‘s roles in environmental protection. Women are key actors in managing drought-prone lands. Their contribution is essential to strengthen community resilience to climate change and guarantee a sustainable future.
Despite the positive outcomes and growing leadership of women in drought resilience, several persistent challenges remain:
- Hindered access to essential resources, equipment, and training: Women have difficulty accessing natural resources, like land, water, and financial credit. They lack the equipment and technologies necessary to implement their innovative solutions, and face cultural and social obstacles (e.g. lack of right to inheritance). Support is needed to mobilise financial resources for women’s projects and to provide women with necessary training and information to strengthen their leadership and land management skills and gain technical support to be able to adapt technologies and practices to their specific local contexts.
- GBV and discrimination: Women face risks of GBV and discrimination, preventing them from fully participating in decision making and land management at both family and community levels.
